LIEBERMAN'S CAMPAIGN DYING ON THE VINE AS HIS SUPPORTERS ABANDON HIM IN DROVES... DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

Having fired his whole campaign staff (ala Katherine Harris) after his stunning defeat by Ned Lamont, Lieberman's campaign is now being run by incompetent DLC hatchetman Dan Gerstein, a corporate shill with decidedly Republican instincts. The first results of Gerstein's stewardship came in today: two polls showing Lieberman's base of support shrinking... rapidly.

Both the Rasmussen poll and ARG (American Research Group) show considerable deterioration in Lieberman's numbers since consistently incompetent Gerstein took over the show. Of course some people point out that it is unfair to place all the blame on Gerstein because, although no one can argue that he has no clue what he's doing, it is really Lieberman's own identification with Bush, Rove and Cheney and the nature of his increasingly desperate and shrill campaign that have caused all the erosion. Others point out that this embracing of the Bush Regime and the spoiled child nature of his campaign are precisely the handiwork of the loathsome Gerstein.

In any case, Rasmussen and ARG show statistical ties now with momentum a powerful factor in Lamont's favor. Rasmussen has Lieberman up by 2 points-- 45-43 (with the other Republican at 6) and ARG shows a dead-heat. Just one week ago Lieberman was running almost 10 points ahead of Lamont. The Rasmussen has even worse long-term news for Lieberman: his favorability ratings are dropping as Lamont's are rising.

And although there are still a small handful of reactionary Democrats-- the ones who always vote with Bush and the Republicans when it comes to screwing over working people and consumers at the behest of big corporations, the Mary Landrieus, Ben Nelsons, Tom Carpers, Mark Pryors and Ken Salazars-- most of Lieberman's Democratic senate colleagues have been contributing money to and offering to campaign for Lamont.

Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold spoke for many when he said "We need more leaders like Ned Lamont in Washington and I look forward to working with him on a wide range of issues in the U.S. Senate." Russ called Lamont's victory "an affirmation of something much larger than Joe Lieberman or Ned Lamont. America knows that a disastrous mistake was made in Iraq... This is an enormous tragedy that has to stop. Ned Lamont understood that. He had the courage to run a campaign on that issue."

DNC Chairman Howard Dean was on Hardball today and Matthews tried picking a fight about Lieberman. "You're brother [Jim Dean, head, Connecticut resident and head of Democracy for America] is working for Lamont," he accused. "And so am I," shot back the leader of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. "Ned Lamont is the future. Joe is a good guy, but Joe is the past. And I think we need a new direction in this country. And it's not just the Lieberman-Lamont race. It's all over the country. People are looking for a different direction, a new direction, a change-- and I think the Democrats can bring that change. And we've got candidates like Ned Lamont all over the country doing that."

And closer to home, Connecticut Democrats are telling Lieberman to take his Republican campaign and shove it. Although he and the slimy Gerstein thing seem to have finally realized their website crashed because of imcompetence and not because of bloggers sabotaging it, it is still not up and running. They've been hunting around for someone to work on their technology but both attempts (Blue State Digital and Plus Three) have resulted in them being told, "Sorry, we only work with Democrats." Next stop-- a Republican shop that specializes in skullduggery, like the ones Mehlman used to steal the New Hampshire Senate seat for Sununu?

Meanwhile, the Enigmatic Paradox examines what the real differences are between Lamont and Lieberman and the answer is that there isn't that much difference-- except in core values.


UPDATE: FORMER DEMOCRAT JOE LIEBERWHORE CAMPAIGNING WITH CT REPUBLICANS TODAY

If you've been reading DWT with any frequency in the last year or so, you already know that Joe Lieberman personifies everything that is wrong with politics in our country. He is a self-serving and egomaniacal powerplayer who has shown he has absolutely no regard whatsoever for his constituents and works 24/7 on his own account. He is disingenuous and one of the most contemptible men to ever slither through the halls of Congress-- halls that have seen a lot of slitherin'. But today, the Lieberwhore has sunk to new depths, campaigning with Republican congressman Rob Simmons at the Groton submarine base. What happened to the pledge Holy Joe made to help Joe Courtney, the Democrat, in that race? This morning Jane asks Harry Reid to strip him of his seniority and toss him off his committees.

Natasha up in Washington, like progressive bloggers all over the country, are outraged about Lieberman's lastest treachery. (Ken's views about his perfidy are well worth taking a look at in the comments here and the story above.)